MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Ivanniel Vazquez struck out a career-high and
Hunter Allen ended the run-rule shortened game with a two-run homerun as Alabama State defeated Samford 14-4 at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex Wednesday night.
Vazquez (1-2) finished with a career-high eight innings pitched, striking out 10 along the way – including six in the last two innings. The senior finished the night allowed four runs – all earned – off of nine hits, but kept Samford off balance and allowed the Hornets to stay in the game.
Alabama State (10-7) ended a three-game losing streak with a pair of big innings as they scored four in the sixth and another four in the eighth inning for the victory.
Noel Cheneau led off the sixth inning with a walk before stealing second and third, two of his three stolen bases on the night. He would later score on a out-out infield single by
Gustavo Rios, his second RBI of the night, as ball bounced over the head of the Samford pitcher, Josh Rich (0-2).
Rios would advance to second on an infield error by Samford (7-11), before going to third and loading the bases when
Oscar Prioleau was hit by a pitch. All three runners would come around to score when
Hunter Phillips collected one his two hits, a double of the right field wall with two outs in the inning to extend the Alabama State lead to 8-4.
The Hornets would two in the seventh on RBI singles from
Yamil Pagan and Rios, before erupting for four more in the eighth.
After a strikeout to start the inning, Phillips singled to center and moved to third on a
Joseph Estrada single to right that was misplayed and allowed both runners to move into scoring position.
Santiago Garcia collected a pair of RBI on a single to shallow left that scored Phillips and Estrada to move the lead to 12-4. The Hornets would end the game when Allen drove a pitch over the left center field fence for his second home run of the season and the final margin of the game.
Four different Hornets had multiple hits, including Rios who raised his average 90 points on the night as he finished 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and a pair of runs scored. Phillips finished with a pair of hits, as did Garcia and Pagan for the Hornets.
Alabama State returns to action this weekend as they play host to Jackson State beginning Friday night at 6 pm at the Wheeler-Watkins Baseball Complex. The game can be heard on the Hornet Sports Network.
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